The CDR TURBO Program originated with an i6 grant from the US Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. I6 grants focus on developing "regional capacity to translate innovations into jobs through proof of concept and commercialization assistance to innovators and entrepreneurs." In 2012, CDR successfully applied for a $1 million grant. This was the first one given for food and beverage innovation and the first one given to a Wisconsin entity.
TURBO staff were hired in July 2013 and started a process of program development and improvements which has continued on to this day. TURBO was formally introduced to the dairy products industry in April 2014. Since then the program helps, on average, to approximately 40+ clients per year. TURBO is financially supported by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin.
In addition, the TURBO program has received over $1 million in grants from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to support its clients. In April 2019, WEDC recognized CDR/TURBO as a "Center of Excellence for Beverage Innovation" which included partial funding for an entrepreneurial/R&D focused aseptic packaging equipment. This "one-of-kind" system will allow TURBO clients to produce small amounts of prototypes for prospective customers in licensed space. In contrast, the only other commercially available equipment have the capabilities to produce hundreds of products per hour and can cost millions of dollars.
In September 2019, CDR/TURBO joined Vermont and Tennessee as one of the three winners of the USDA's Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (DBII). This program was created in the 2018 Farm Bill which authorized annual financial support for the three winners for four years. Wisconsin's Dairy Business Initiative Alliance (DBIA) program covers a five state region (WI, IL, IA, MN & SD) and focuses on helping dairy farmers diversify/create new revenue streams, assist dairy products companies in the development of new value added products and provide information on exporting.